Page 17 of Yankee in the Wind

She pulled up her lip in a sneer. “Let me guess: you’re a secret agent like Thomas.”

At the words, he let go of her fist and reared back. He hadn’t been prepared for this. Had Thomas told her that they’d both been recruited into the CIA? Had Thomas known that Jack had been in the same program? Oddly enough, Jack hadn’t known until two days ago when he’d recognized Thomas’s picture on the list of Stargate agents. Clearly, Henry Sheppard had made Thomas the same offer, and given him the same condition: not to tell anyone. Not to share their secret.

Lilly locked eyes with him. “Oh my God, it’s true. You’re in the CIA just like Thomas.”

He let out a breath, weighing up whether it was wise to tell her the truth. He hesitated.

“Don’t lie to me, or I’m walking right out that door, and you’ll never see me again,” she warned, and he knew she meant it. From all the things Thomas had told him about her over the years, he knew she was serious. She didn’t take crap from anybody.

“Alright, you want the truth. Yes, Thomas and I were in the CIA.”

“Were?”

Jack nodded. “Our program was eliminated.” It was a fitting word for how all agents in the Stargate program had left the CIA. When Sheppard had been killed, he’d warned his agents with his dying breath, sending out a psychic message to cut and run, or they would suffer the same fate. They’d all gone to ground. “How much did Thomas tell you?”

“He told me nothing. Not a word.”

“Then how…?” Had she bluffed in order to get him to spill the truth? Had she tricked him?

“I was cleaning out Thomas’s old room and found something in a hiding place. He left it for me to find, I’m certain. You know that he’s dead, don’t you?”

“Yes, I’m sorry.” But there was no time for grief. “What did he leave for you to find?”

“His CIA ID card. And there was a telephone number on a notepad. I called the number and spoke to this guy at the CIA. But he wouldn’t tell me how Thomas died. All he said was that it was an accident during a training exercise. Do you know how he died? Were you with him?”

Jack shook his head. “I haven’t seen Thomas since that day at the BBQ.”

“But you were one of his closest friends, and you worked together. You were in the CIA together. How can—”

“The program we were in was top secret. We had to break up contact with everybody from our former lives. I never knew until two days ago that Thomas was recruited into the same program as I. And then we all had to go to ground three years ago. We’re being hunted.”

“Hunted? By whom?”

“By whoever killed our program leader, Henry Sheppard.”

Surprise registered on Lilly’s face. Then she shook her head. “You’re lying.”

The accusation stung. “I’m not lying. I’m telling you the truth.”

“I spoke to Henry Sheppard. He’s the person I called at the CIA. He told me he can’t tell me how Thomas died because it was a matter of national security.”

“I don’t know who you spoke to, but it wasn’t Henry Sheppard. Sheppard died over three years ago. He was murdered.”

For a long moment he held her gaze. Her expression changed to one of realization. “That’s why the page in the notebook was ripped out. And why the name was crossed out.”

“What are you saying?” he asked.

“When I said I found a number and name on a little notepad, it’s not quite… well, you know when you write something on a pad of paper and you’re using a lot of pressure with your pen, it leaves an impression behind. I found a piece of paper with that kind of impression and used a pencil to reveal the name and number on it. I thought it was a clever way of Thomas leaving it for me without it being too obvious. As kids we did that all the time. But if Thomas knew that this Henry Sheppard was dead, then he probably just ripped out the page. After he crossed out the name and number.”

“Makes sense. Can I see the notepad?”

She shook her head. “I left it at home. But I programmed the number into my phone.” Then she cast him an annoyed glare. “And you tossed my phone out the car window.”

“I had to do that, or whoever is after you would have been able to track us. Don’t worry, if you called him from your cell phone, we can get the number via your phone carrier.”

“Why would somebody try to kill me? Maybe the shooter at the plaza was just some random crazy. I mean, shootings like that happen all the time.”

“Sure they do, but this wasn’t a random shooting. You must have rattled somebody’s cage when you called the fake Henry Sheppard and asked him about Thomas. What did you tell him?”